As the World Falls Down
by Prncssanime
Summary: Was it all just a dream and nothing more? Did she really meet her own personal prince charming and choose to walk away? Sarah now a 19 year old college freshman has always dreamed about her time in the Labyrinth and its mysterious king. Now 4 years later, she is convinced it is naught but a dream, but deep down she yearns for it to be more. Now, she wants her king. *Reviews welcome
1. Prologue

As the World Falls Down

Prologue

Sarah always loved this dream. The pristine ballroom, the swirling layers of satin, tulle, and silk, and the heavily music that seemed to drift about the extravagant party all played their own part in making it the most magical experience Sarah had ever experienced. Most of all Sarah loved the King in her dreams. He had eyes only for her, and her every whim was his command. She held power over him like no other woman ever had before. As Sarah slowly waltzed around the ballroom in her dreams she always felt a strange sense of deja vu. Oh course Sarah had never been to such a grand ballroom. The closest she had ever been to such an elaborate party was when her father had married her stepmother Irene. While Sarah had never gotten along with her stepmother in her teens, now she saw Irene as a close friend. The music in the ballroom slowly came to a halt. All eyes were on Sarah and her king and he slowly bent down to capture her lips…

The alarm clock going off roused Sarah with a start. Sarah gazed around her dorm room and saw that her roommate was already gone to breakfast. It was all just a dream, but her favorite nonetheless. Sarah quickly dressed and grabbed her morning books before heading off to breakfast at the dining hall. After high school Sarah chose a small New England College to continue her education. The school specialized in the performing arts and the written arts. For Sarah it was heaven. After a quick breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast Sarah headed off to her first class of the day, Vocal Performance. While not a singer by any means, Sarah had discovered that she was not terrible and decided to use this class to improve her abilities to allow her to take on more versatile roles. As she was about to enter the Performing Arts building a white owl flew out of the old oak tree next to the building and flew off into the grey clouds of a New England winter.


	2. Chapter 1

As the World Falls Down

Chapter 1 

Sarah entered the drafty lecture hall and went for her usual seat near her friends Tiffany and Jaime. Tiffany had her nose in her sketch book trying to make the fabric drape right on the dress she was designing for her Costume Design class, while Jaime had her Walkman on trying to learn the words for a song she wanted to perform at the end of term performances. Sarah sat down and began to pull out her supplies for class when the cheerful Professor Lutz drifted into the lecture hall carrying a rather large rolled poster.

"Class," she began, "I am pleased to inform you that next week we will be beginning auditions for a play with a guest producer." She paused for a moment to let the murmuring from her students quiet down then continued, "The producer is an old friend of mine for many years ago, and when he mentioned he want to produce this play I couldn't say no." Professor Lutz went to the board and taking a few pushpins began to pin up the poster slowly unrolling it to reveal the poster for the play _Labyrinth_. "Now class," Professor Lutz spoke again, "There is no grade associated with this performance but for those who wish to participate in auditions I will be willing to offer a 15 point bonus on your midterm exams. Try out scripts will be available on the table in front of my office starting at noon today. Now please open your books to page 394."

The class began to open their books and prepare for the days lesson, but for Sarah it was like a bit of magic took hold and just for one moment the little dwarf on the poster winked at Sarah. It couldn't, could it? In her teens Sarah used to dream of traversing a maze with dangers untold and hardships unnumbered accompanied by a smart mouthed, sarcastic dwarf named Hogwart. No, it was Hoggle she thought with a sad smile. In the poster the little dwarf was being dangled precarious over the Bog of Eternal Stench. No, that's not right. There was no Bog of Eternal Stench mentioned in that play. Wherever did that name come from? Just as Sarah began pondering such a silly, and funny name Professor Lutz called out, "Sarah, this is not time for daydreaming."

"Oh right, sorry Professor." Replied Sarah as she turned her attention back to a chapter on Singing while playing characters that were mythical or fairytale in nature, like werewolves, vampires, fairies, and other magical creatures. The section that the professor has on the overhead transparency projector was about Werewolves and how to bring out the beast or feral nature of a creature when acting while making sure you project your voice. While Sarah was very sure this skill was important for her ability to act in several plays, she couldn't focus on the less. So she pretended to take notes while she daydreamed about her dream adventures from so long ago. 

Daydreaming. Daydreaming was something Sarah had always been good at going, much to her teacher's dismay. Sarah had always been a solid student in school from Kindergarten straight through High School. Yet year after year, Sarah's teachers were always sending home notes about her lack of focus or her constant daydreaming. Her father Robert, had done his best to encourage Sarah to be more attentive in school, but gave up since she was doing well despite her daydreaming so he let her be.

In Sarah's dream the plays she loved so much became her life. She was a princess who was besieged in a castle, a simple maiden who took up a warriors shield and sword to defend her kingdom, or her favorite a silly young girl who in a moment of selfishness wished her colicky baby brother away to the Goblin King. The last daydream consumed her high school years. Sarah was so invested in her play-acting daydreams that one stormy night she dreamed that the goblins really did take her baby brother Toby away to the Goblin King. There, Sarah had 13 hours to save Toby or lose him forever. While fighting to win back Toby she had to traverse a giant Labyrinth where right was wrong and left was right, where creature lied easily, but only told the truth if you asked the right question, and where even if you got the riddle right you still had to beware that one last trap.

In that dream Sarah finally made her way through all the traps, tricks, and tribulations, to face off against the Goblin King; the very same King who still haunted her dreams to this very day. In the dream Sarah had given her proud monologue for the play and after a brief slip of memory, had delivered the final "You have no power over me" as the world crumbled and Sarah awoke in bed to find Toby quietly asleep. That was 4 years ago, but still she dreamed of the king who professed that he would do anything and everything for her if only she would give totally, truly, and fully of herself to him.

That was a dream though. The world moved on and so too did Sarah. Sarah finished her secondary education with good enough grades to get into any school she desired and so she entered her current college to begin studying to be the actress she knew she was destined to be. The play that had been so pivotal to her childhood and her dreams was still sitting on her bookshelf. Still untouched since that day in the park when Sarah and Merlin her faithful dog had to run home in the rain.

Nothing had changed, and yet everything had changed for Sarah. She was still a beautiful young woman who was at the beginning of a promising career in the performing arts and yet she had grown and matured from the selfish sometimes-bratty child she was. Gone were the days of life needing to be "fair", and now Sarah was focused on being the best she could be as a student, actress, daughter, and big sister. Sarah no longer resented Toby and her father's remarriage to Irene. Now Sarah loved and doted on Toby.

Her father and stepmother would say that Toby and Sarah's relationship changed when Toby grew out of colic and began to sleep the night. Sarah, of course, knew differently. It was the Labyrinth that changed Sarah and her love for Toby. Toby, who grew up squealing the word again whenever Sarah would tell him of their adventures in the Labyrinth. Toby who still snuggled with Sarah's bear Lancelot every night. Toby who insisted Sarah take a day off from her college studies to come to his first day of Kindergarten. Now Toby was one of the most important people in her life.

Forty-five minutes seemed to fly by as the professor dismissed the class for the day. As Sarah was walking out the Professor stopped her for a moment and said, "I do not know what came over you today, but please do not make it a habit, alright? Also I really do want to urge you to pick up a script and try out. A lead role, perhaps? You always seem to go for the small roles but I think you have it in you to take a lead and go far." Sarah thanked her professor and headed off to her second class of College Calculus. Even Theater majors need to take math classes too.


	3. Chapter 2

I do not own Labyrinth or any of the characters created by Jim Henson.

As the World Falls Down

Chapter 2

The rest of the day seemed to pass with a blur, which is not such a great thing when Sarah had Calculus and Chemistry back to back. There were days she really wondered what possessed her to take her two least favorite classes back to back in the same semester. Between classes she found herself absent-mindedly caressing the cover of the script she had been given. Normally Sarah was content to take on small roles in the college's plays. After all she was still an underclassmen with scads to learn from her various theater classes. Sarah had always excelled at delivery of her lines, but the memorization always seemed to get her. Through years of practice she was now able to confidently and elegantly deliver whatever line she was given, although she still lacked to confidence to audition for a lead. Professor Lutz felt that she had what was needed for this role.

That evening Sarah began to read the play while her roommate Ashley was busy working on what looked like some super complex spreadsheets. Ashley was a Business Major who was interested in learning how to run a theater rather than act in one. Sarah and Ashley had been friends since middle school so when they had settled upon their college of choice they had decided to be roommates. As Sarah read the play she realized that she already knew every word between the young princess who was fighting to save her baby brother and the Magical King who had only given the foolish young girl exactly what she had asked for.

The first time Sarah had read the play, she had identified with the spoiled young princess. Life was not fair now that she had a younger brother and a wicked stepmother, because all good stories have a wicked stepmother. The princess has wished her brother away in a fit of jealousy one evening when her father the kindly king of the realm and his new queen were off attending a state affair. The princess realizing her mistake had to run the treacherous labyrinth as the sand slowly ran out on the large magical hourglass. The princess had succeeded in overcoming the obstacles once she had come to realize that life wasn't about fair, but about doing the right thing no matter how hard it is. She came to realize how much her family loved her and her baby brother so she too should love and protect her brother. After an exchange of words at the core of the castle of the Magical King the spell was broken and the princess awoke in her own bed only to find that only 2 candle marks had passed.

It was Sarah's favorite story, and in many ways it still was for a different reason. Where as she loved the spunky heroine in her younger teens, now she loved the Magic King. The man, who was willing to move the stars only so that the princess would be happy and love him with total devotion. He was the same man who took on the roles of lover and villain, king and slave, and storyteller and character. In the end the spell was broken and the princess left with her brother to leave the poor Magical King all alone. Sarah used the read the line, "You have no power over me," with triumph and pride. Now when she read the line, it was with longing and sorrow.

The week passed by with the daily grind of fun classes and not so fun classes. Sarah enjoyed her classes on Musical Theater, Vocal Performance, Jazz Age Culture, and Modern Dance. Her Chemistry and Calculus classes were the low points of her week. This up coming weekend was Fall Break so it felt like each professor was trying to cram in as much content as possible before the long four-day weekend. With Midterms beginning after break it was a very stressful week even in Sarah's favorite classes. The highlight of Sarah's weekend would be a trip home to see her family.

Sarah's father, Robert, had promised that he had a surprise waiting for Sarah. She had no idea what it was by Toby was super excited and could barely contain the secret. Despite several attempts from Sarah to get the little imp to spill the beans he was still holding onto his secret. After her last class on Thursday, Sarah packed up her old 1982 silver Volkswagen and began the several hour drive home. As Sarah travelled from highway to interstate and then back to a different route she reminisced about her childhood. She thought about her early childhood when both her parents were together. She remembered how distraught her father was when her mother Linda had walked about on them. Sarah had loved her mother's exciting and adventurous life. Back then she did not realize that what her mother did to her father when she left to be with her lover. After the divorce Sarah's relationship to her father had been tense at best. When her father met Irene the feelings of jealously began to grow. In retrospect she was being quite a brat. Back then it felt like her whole world was falling down. Shortly before dinnertime Sarah pulled into the driveway of her childhood home and gave her customary two honks on the horn. As she was getting out of the driver's seat she found herself pushed back into her vehicle by Merlin her sheepdog and A towheaded five year old.

"Sarah," squealed Toby, "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, you little Imp," replied Sarah and she tousled his flaxen hair.

"You are in for such a big surprise," Toby chirped as her father and stepmother walked out onto the large porch.

"That's enough now Toby," called Irene. "We don't want to ruin Sarah's surprise now do we."

"Nope," Toby said cheerfully. "Guess what Sarah? Mom and I made your favorite dinner especially for you. I even got to put the spaghetti in the pot."

"That's awesome," replied Sarah. "I sure am hungry let's head inside."

As the family headed in with Sarah's large blue duffle bag in hand the bush rustled a little bit and for a moment a small goblin was visible, but only Merlin turned to see what had made the noise. 

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